Givan hopes to avert school strikes as teachers back action over workload

Schools across Northern Ireland face the prospect of industrial action over teacher workload, with Education Minister Paul Givan saying progress in summer negotiations could still prevent disruption.

Responding to teaching union ballot results, the minister said agreement had been reached on a range of disputed issues and pledged to continue talks with unions and employers.

But unions say teachers need changes they can see in schools and classrooms, warning that unresolved workload pressures could lead to strike action. No strike date has been set.

Minister points to progress in negotiations

Mr Givan said discussions supported by the Labour Relations Agency had made significant progress towards resolving the dispute.

“Negotiations over recent months have been very constructive with agreement reached across a range of issues in dispute. This ballot was initiated before the negotiations had commenced and the outcome does not reflect the genuine efforts that have been made by all parties to find a resolution.”

He said his department and representatives of education employers had engaged in good faith and remained willing to listen and respond.

“We will also need to consider how further engagement can be structured in a way that is meaningful and has a realistic prospect of reaching agreement. I believe that further progress is possible through continued engagement and I will continue to work with the NITC and employers to find a way forward.”

Strong backing for industrial action

NASUWT members who participated in its ballot voted 92.04% in favour of strike action and 98.63% in favour of action short of strike. Turnout was 54.89%.

INTO recorded 91% support for strike action and 99% for action short of strike, on a turnout of 46%. Ulster Teachers’ Union members voted 71% in favour of strikes and 95% for action short of strike. These figures represent support among those who voted.

The National Association of Head Teachers also recorded support for action, with 81% backing strikes and 96% backing action short of strike.

The ballots give unions backing to take industrial action; they do not, by themselves, mean schools will close on a particular date. The timing and form of any action remain crucial for families awaiting clarity.

Workload review at the centre of the dispute

The dispute concerns how recommendations from an independent review of teacher workload will be put into practice. Unions argue that the department has not produced an adequate plan to deliver the review’s 27 recommendations.

The review panel was commissioned by Mr Givan in May 2025. His department published its action plan on 28 April 2026.

According to the department, unions welcomed many aspects of the plan but sought further action in several areas before entering into dispute. Representatives of the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council and education employers subsequently held intensive discussions supported by the Labour Relations Agency.

The council brings together the five main teaching unions: INTO, NAHT, NASUWT, the National Education Union and the Ulster Teachers’ Union.

Unions want practical changes in classrooms

INTO said the proposed measures did not go far enough to deliver the changes teachers and school leaders needed, and that members remained concerned about whether unnecessary workload would actually fall.

UTU general secretary Jacquie White said her union remained committed to negotiations but wanted an urgent resolution that produced practical improvements in schools. She warned that time diverted from teaching and learning affected children’s education.

“UTU members are prepared to take strike action or action short of strike to deliver,” she said.

What the dispute could mean for families

Action short of strike involves staff continuing to work while declining specified duties. In its ballot guidance, the NEU listed possible measures including refusing certain administrative tasks, submitting lesson plans or supervising extracurricular activities. These were examples of potential action, rather than a confirmed programme for every school.

Mr Givan said he recognised the pressures facing teachers and school leaders and remained committed to reducing their workload.

“At my request, a panel was established to identify workload-related issues. The panel’s recommendations have been taken forward and the employers along with my Department are committed to implementing them. Significant progress has been made through the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) conciliation process.”

The department’s action plan is available at here⁠.

For families in Ballymena and across Northern Ireland, disruption remains a possibility rather than a confirmed school closure. The outstanding question is whether further negotiations can deliver an agreement before unions put their industrial action mandates into effect.